National Museum Collects 'Occupy' Artifacts

The National Museum of American History, part of the federally funded Smithsonian Institute, has been sending representatives to collect memorabilia at Occupy Wall Street and its associated protests around the country.

The effort is intended “document the spirit of American democracy and the American political process,” said a statement from the museum, according to CNSNews.com.

The collecting is part of the museum’s “long tradition of documenting how Americans participate in the life of the nation,” the statement said.

The materials, including protest signs, will join objects in the museum’s political history collection that include the inkwell President Lincoln used to compose the Emancipation Proclamation.

“The museum collects from contemporary events because many of the materials are ephemeral and if not collected immediately, would be lost to the historical record,” the statement said.